This is the Aleph idea at Emy Camp, Marsa Alam

December 2012: Aleph is live at Marsa Alam, on the Egyptian Red Sea. You can come now

Aleph is an idea - a place to experiment with the human collective. They say: 'whomever lives among a people for forty days, becomes one of them'. They mean one with their culture, ethos, traits. So Aleph asks: what if the people you come to live among are themselves drawn from the four corners? A hybrid tribe breeding a unity of cultures - not in bubbles or cantons, as you might find in global cities, but at close quarters – eating, living, and sleeping quarters. A real global village, the wiki-village you make yourself. And maybe where you find your personal legend. This is about playfully re-imagining civilisation from first principles. But mostly, it's about whatever it turns out to be.

December 2012: Aleph now has a location for its idea: gentleman proprietor of 'Emy Camp' at warm Marsa Alam on the Red Sea has granted Aleph tenure; hence emy/Aleph. If you'd like to take part,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. now - just keep in mind that this is a very fluid experience as we're bootstrapping, so almost everything depends on what participants bring to the table/rug. Come as you are, but especially if you've got skills you can share, great visions in need of a great canvas, or boundless enthusiasm for the idea - Aleph calls you.

Here're the details:

Emy Camp (or Camp Emy, on the signage) - located 14 kilometers south of Marsa Alam town - is a circular campus comprising 35 bungalows/chalets in the Nubian architectural style, a mess hall, restrooms, and a small (currently closed) bazaar. Emy overlooks a coral reef at Tondoba bay and is backed by the mountains of the eastern Egyptian desert (where there are pharoanic gold and emerald mines still in operation). Down the road, there is a mangrove forest at Qulaan, several lagoons popular with kitesurfers, the Wadi el-Gemal camel sanctuary, and world-renowned dive sites (Elphinstone for sharks, Dolphin House for dolphins, etc). The area is also home to indigenous tribes of East African origin. Luxor and Aswan are the nearest Nile Valley cities, famous for their massive Pharoanic monuments.

Symbiosis synopsis: The resident landlord of Emy has offered to host Aleph's game of life as long as we can break-even on running costs. We understand Emy was one of the first resorts built in the Marsa Alam development, with the present site dating back to 1999, however of late it's been somewhat unloved and often vacant of guests. 17 chalets are currently serviceable (doubles/triples), though many of the remainder require only minor fixes; and others, roofs. Aleph can help stop Emy slip into dereliction in return for its hosting us by harnessing economies of scale: with capacity for ~20-50 residents at the moment (depending on sharing arrangements), the per person contribution to break-even on pooled expenses needs to be determined communally. Any excess contribution will help do that- so if you don't need to stay for a month, we ask that you contribute the same amount if you can, for posterity. Alternatively if you can contribute something special or help us with fixing the camp, that would be just as good- in the long-term, near self-sufficiency is the coveted aim; in the meantime emy/Aleph is a nascent symbiotic relationship between a holiday camp and the Aleph collective. You can also help us maintain full capacity and get the ball rolling by telling your (like-minded) mates- but before y'all pop down, just This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make sure we've still got space (or even, camping ground). We promise to get back real quick.

You should come too if: you want to frolic with dolphins or freedive with a dugong, see regular meteors on a proper night sky, paint huge murals or other artsy things, do parkour off boulders, or climb them. Or stalk hawks. Or just to see what it's like living (and being) a human village at the edge of the world- away from the insidious miseries of sedentary life, like the ancestors once did. To add to this train of ideas, show up.

Now, get here by taking the cheapest flight into Egypt (Marsa Alam, Hurghada, Aswan, Luxor, Cairo etc), the reasonably priced coach to Marsa Alam town (50-150 EGP), then a taxi/pick-up 'dabaaba' to Emy (20-100 EGP). This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you need anything.

P.S: and if somehow it doesn't work out for you at emy/Aleph, there are normal lodges aplenty down the road. Win-win dilemma.

A final note, on security: if you're worried about the political environment and such, remember: in case of apocalypse, you are better off away from major population centres. 

Sincerely, Aleph at Emy - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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